In an effort to band together and work towards a more just society in Vermont and beyond, VMBA dedicated several steps in our previous blog post, “Listening & Learning“. One of those steps is keeping VMBA members informed of any legislation that will support our law enforcement to receive more diversity, implicit bias, and de-escalation training. We ask that you take a moment to read further for more details on S.338 – The Justice Reinvestment Bill.
S.338 – An Act Relating to Justice Reinvestment
The S.338 bill focuses on fundamental changes towards some of the biggest drivers of incarceration in Vermont to work towards reducing our prison population. The bill move towards a justice system that is rooted in community-based solutions, including:
- Earn time off sentences for good behavior.
- The ability to appeal during imprisonment for technical violations of community supervision.
- People that have served their minimum sentence will be eligible for presumptive parole.
- The savings from reducing prison population will support services that can prevent incarceration and help people successfully reenter and stay in their communities.
Of particular importance, stakeholders will be required to make recommendations for legislation to reduce racial and geographic disparities in our criminal justice system. This step is long overdue, and we will continue pushing for rapid progress.
The bill is going to the full House of Representatives for a vote – one of the last hurdles before being sent to the governor. We hope that you take a few minutes to contact your representative(s) and ask them to support S.338
VMBA will continue to provide updates regarding any legislation that supports combating systemic racism within our criminal justice system. Thank you.
Additional Resources
We hope that you take a moment to review some additional resources that focuses on diversity in the outdoors. Thank you.
Becoming Ruby – a film from Patagonia and mountain biker/skier/artist Brooklyn Bell on inclusion, identity and hand-drawn heroes.
Diversify Outdoors – promote diversity in outdoor recreation and conservation
WTF Bike Explorers – a movement towards more connection, gender inclusivity, and racial equality within the bicycle adventure community
The Adventure Gap: The Face of the Outdoors – by James Mills, chronicles the first all African-American expedition to Denali and the importance of inspiring future generations
An American Ascent – documentary film about the first African-American expedition to Denali
Camber Outdoors – national nonprofit focused on inclusion, equity and diversity in the active-outdoors industries
Melanin Basecamp – increasing representation and opportunities for people of color in outdoor adventure sports
Native Women’s Wilderness – to promote, encourage, and inspire women of color in the outdoor realm
Social Media Accounts
Natives Outdoors – empowering indigenous communities through products and storytelling
Indigenous Women Hike – healing through our inherent connection to the land
Brown People Camping – Stories from Indian/Muslim/American Women diversifying public lands & the outdoors
Have a resource that can be added to the list? Leave a comment and we will take a look – thank you!
Just thanks for doing this. I was already happy and proud to be a member of this organization. This just makes me feel better about it. Cheers
Max